Deer that only move at night

7 posts in this topic

bbells 0

My brother in law has a 120 acre tree farm that the deer are making quite a negative impact on. I set up my trail camera and it shows they are only moving at night. Not one pic was taken during legal hunting hours. Any idea how I can hunt these deer without being able to get onto the neighbors property where they are bedding down? Is my bro in law sol as far as reducing the herd? I have set my stand up in the only grove of mature trees (the rest are christmas trees), and the trail camera has been proven right, not one sighting of a deer during day, dusk, post dusk or dawn. Although I can see about a quarter mile in any direction if I twist enough. And there is plenty fresh sign.

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leechlake 9

bbells, sounds like you've got what I call the late season nighmare. Deer are hunted (from their perspective)from small game season in mid Sept on, culminating with the peak of pressure during the rifle deer season. A few guys every weekend grouse hunt with dogs and from a deers perspective they are being hunted, then firearms starts and they really know they're being hunted. In short order they find that at night no one bothers them, combine that with being crepuscular in the first place and you have a tough situation.

Sitting on stand and hoping the right weather pattern occurs is something to hope for but my plan would be to hunt from 11am until 3pm looking for a deer that gets up during the day and browses or just stretches the old legs. Either way it's just tough hunting.

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DeanoB 0

Best thing to do is walk through the bedding area, get them up and hope for a good shot. Or drive them out, 2 guys can easily walk a smaller area, even a larger area with stealth and see bedded deer, or get them up, thats the best way. You will get pretty disheartened waiting for a deer that will never show up in daylight. Or as Shackbash said, get out early, like an hour before legal shooting time, maybe catch one cruising to the bed. Other than that it's just time in the woods. Good Luck.

Went out yesterday after the wake and visitation with Finn. He flushed two hens and I saw him chasing a rooster but I am not fast enough to keep up. It flushed about a hundred yards out from me. We seen one grouse but it flushed 60 yards in front of Finn and he was only 10 yards infront of me. Then Finn started going crazy so he headed into the cat tails and wow 50 or so mallards flew at me and then 7 big swans. Finn did not look happy that I just watched them. It was a fun little trip.
Anyone else Lise out there chasing birds yet?

Quick question, we have never come up in the winter, but it's my understanding the ice is usually questionable around Oak Narrows and Timbuktu. Does anyone know what the ice is usually like in Birch Narrows (West Hinsdale) and Smarts Bay (SW area Hinsdale) around the Retreat Lodge Area which is where our island property is.
Thanks for any insight